Show y 4 h ft Santa From the South Du Fence Ferree Cass 4 t t 1 t 14 t t t While the tho newspapers throughout the tie United States were busily ai nn all pouncing Bouncing the tho warlike operations o or of orGen Gen Sancho Fernandez here there ther and nd elsewhere that December It wasa wa wai was i a fact that the revolutionary dictator of Mexico was really realty In Washington D D. C C. where ho he had been fly lIy summoned by tho president lug Ills conler conference at the capitol wa was short and very much to tho the point 1 It was pointed out with painful decisiveness decisive ness to the tho Senor General Fernandez Fernando that hereinafter he would have havo to tomake tomake tomake make his ragged army respect th the rights of ot U U. S. S A. A The pill pitt that General Fernandez ernandez was wa thus made to swallow was not sugar suga sugarcoated sugarcoated coated but but lt it unquestionably did him good He lie went down the White House steps that day before belore Christmas a sadder gadder and a wiser Iser man man However the dictator of Mexico was a a pher General Fernandez muffled his face faco deep In tho soft warmth of his fur Cur collared greatcoat and started off down the avenue By and by he came to the business district where throngs of or minute last shoppers were bustling about Snow had begun to fall faU heavily heavily great great fleecy flakes that filled fined the tho whole air and supplementing g the gay holiday decorations decora Uon and shouts of street hawkers gave the scene an ant anair t F air of fairylike e unreality The Tl joll Jolly lolly freehanded freehanded free free- handed Christmas I spirit was contagious con but it made him feel very lonely He wanted a comrade com corn r rade a d e e I J anyone in all this big busy city who would hall him simply as a friend and not as the tho celebrated General Fernandez He lie came to a street corner where he heard his own name shouted in a shrill childish voice close by there people I Spend a cent and read all about General about General Fernandez the Mexican butcher Hes He's women and babies down there right now Big Dig battle at three hundred killed U here hero all about the bloody General Fernandez At first the dictator scowled then smiled queerly and approached the ragged waif at the newsstand She Sher She was blue with cold and shiver a-shiver beneath beneath beneath be- be neath s scanty anty rags Below an old shawl her thin prematurely aged face look looked d wan wan pl h d. d Genuine pity pity pity-an an unusual thing In Inthe inthe inthe the dictator seized dictator seized him as he surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- her Do you really believe that this General Fernandez Is as bad as 6 all that he asked her with a whimsical l half smile The street waif stared up at him suspiciously Owan Gwan away from here you dude Cant Can't y see Im I'm try In to sell my Tonight's Christmas eve an anI I w wanna I sell out so a as to go yo I in on one of the the bIg big stores an an n see S nty Claus s How flow many papers have you left lett to sell little girl Twenty Ill take them all Heres Here's a quarter You can keep th the change y daIn doIn doIn do do- In this fr fr still suspicious The great Gen Gen- General era oral eral I Fernandez smiled at the waif walt sadly indulgently Child Im I'm a stranger here and Im I'm ever so lonely Everybody else has a welcoming home tonight tonight has has someone some some- one to whom he can give presents and know that they'll be appreciated Its It's Its Christmas eve and I too want to forget forret for for- get ret myself for tor a u a awhile while and play Santa I Claus Maug for somebody If It I really thought y meant all that hat muttered the tho waif skeptically Id Id I'd say why wily not practice some o 0 orr yr rr good intentions on me Lordy knows know's I need em The dictators dictator's face became radiant He le laughed wholeheartedly whole as he had hadnot hadnot hadnot not done before in years yearn and took one onel l of Df the tho was wP IrlA h halt half zen ban hands hands hindS kindly within Els lii DIg big g gloved a ev d one It It shall all bo be just as you say he ho cried much to her astonishment Come along with me now now first now first somewhere some where to get you fOU ou a warm coat and hood and some furry mittens Then well go to a fine tine restaurant And after youve you've eaten every bit you can hold well we'll go see the toys and you youcan youcan youcan can pick out your own present Yr not me mister On my honor no f Then If Its It's all the same to you lets let's hit the toy departments first Ive I've had m eye on a big yellow headed dolt real doll real hair It U is too there too there In the Emporium fr tr six x months I Well do 1 ojus f Just sit st as ae sY you u say kiddle kiddie but on one condition that mister You must tell me that you dont don't believe all the things you said about General Fernandez of Mexico Ill call him E Santa Claus If that'll suit null y any better mister Under present circumstances that name strikes me as aa quite appropriate for him murmured the dictator But come on now Its It's going to be a really merry Christmas s after all |